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Market Access

The Millennium Development Goal Target 8.A is the main trade-related target under MDG 8, containing a commitment to develop further an open, rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory trading and financial system. In addition, Target 8.B and 8.C address the special needs of the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS). One of the main vehicles for advancing progress towards a fairer multilateral trading system that delivers more benefits to developing countries is the Doha Round of trade negotiations of the WTO. Any delay in completing the Round represents an obstacle to making progress towards the Target.

Learn more about market access

The MDG Gap Task Force identifies implementation gaps in the commitments made under MDG 8 and provides recommendations to all major stakeholders on how to address these gaps. According to the forthcoming MDG Gap Task Force Report 2013, the main gaps in meeting commitments on market access are:

Commitment

Conclude Doha Round of trade negotiations

The UN Millennium Declaration (2000) pledged signatories to establish an “open, equitable, rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading and financial system”. The Doha Round of trade talks was launched in 2001 largely to fulfill this goal.

Status

Impasse

The Doha Round is not concluded and serious gaps in positions remain. WTO members have agreed to explore different negotiating approaches and possibilities of reaching provisional or definitive agreements based on consensus earlier than the full conclusion of the single undertaking, but no progress has been made.

Recommendations

Intensify efforts to reach a successful, balanced multilateral conclusion of the Doha Round of trade negotiations, including by exploring different negotiating approaches.

Remove all trade-restrictive measures that have been adopted since the onset of the global crisis and refrain from erecting new ones

Accelerate delivery on the commitment to eliminate all forms of agricultural export subsidies by 2013.

The MDG Gap Task Force identifies implementation gaps in the commitments made under MDG 8 and provides recommendations to all major stakeholders on how to address these gaps. According to the forthcoming MDG Gap Task Force Report 2012, the main gaps in meeting commitments on market access are:

Commitment

97% (of tariff lines)

of LDC exports should benefit from duty-free and quota-free (DFDQ) access to developed country markets, by recommendation of the 2005 WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.

Result (2010)

80% (by value)

of developed country imports from LDCs, excluding arms and oil, admitted free of duty.

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MDG Gap Task Force Report

The MDG Gap Task Force, created by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has systematically monitored existing international commitments on MDG 8 and their fulfilment at the global and country level. The 2015 report is entitled Taking Stock of the Global Partnership for Development.